Steaming through the memories
Chairman John Newcome welcomed John Snell as speaker at the recent meeting of Calstock Parish History group.
Mr Snell spoke on the local railway lines in the Tamar Valley. He said
the three foot six inch East Cornwall Mineral Railway opened in May 1872 and ran from Kelly Bray to Calstock. From Kelly Bray to Butts, Calstock the line was worked by steam locomotives, from Butts to Calstock riverside wagons were worked on an incline and on Calstock riverside horses were used to haul the trucks. The line was a boon to the many local industries at the time and many were served.
The standard gauge line from Bere Alston to Callington was opened in March 1908 by the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction railway. The big engineering feat of this line was the building of Calstock viaduct which started in April 1904. The builder was John Lang of Liskeard. A total of 11,148 blocks were used - all made on site on the Devon side. Sand and cement came by river and granite chippings were supplied from Snowden's Quarry, Gunnislake via the Tamar Manure Navigation canal at Gunnislake. Lang also built a wagon hoist on the Calstock end of the viaduct. The Great Western railway was not disinterested with the new works and instituted on 1 June 1904 a bus service from Saltash to Callington to Queen's Head Albaston.
Mr Snell explained the railway had helped to develop the Tamar Valley's flower and fruit industry and when the railway ceased handling this traffic ceased.
Today the railway provides a vital link into Plymouth. Pre war, the party fields at at Bere Ferrers and Bere Alston were popular for Sunday school outings from Plymouth. Early in the 1900s Gunnislake station was a scene of a many tearful farewell as men left to seek work in the gold fields of South Africa, mines in the USA, many Gunnislake men leaving for the Ollinger gold mine in Timmins, Canada. Some never returned and it was recalled how five men left the area in April 1912 to join the ill fated Titanic and lost their lives when the liner sank.
Basket workshop
The November meeting of the Tamar Valley Flower and Garden group, held in the Methodist hall at Albaston, was well attended.
The morning took the form of a workshop when Maggie Murray took the class. The subject was a basket arrangement, incorporating a gift, ideal for Christmas or for birthdays. After Mrs Murray's teaching demonstration members each arranged their flowers.
Barbara Smetherham was the demonstrator for the afternoon with 'Christmas Cheer'. First two terracotta flower pots with two tall cream candles with ivy foliage and dark red chrysanths were very much admired. A ceramic basket with eucalyptus and dark red spray carnations followed this, an arrangement with red phormum formed into a loop. Then Mrs Smetherham demonstrated a design using silk flowers, photinia pieces inserted between and gilded palm leaves.
Doreen Tinkler gave the vote of thanks.